Wabbit Season
by murder-media
Summary: In a world where animal-like people called demi-humans are kept as pets, Ragna decides to bring home a mischevious rabbit named Rachel from his local pet store after school one day and has her live with him and his uncle in the apartment they share. Ragna soon comes to realize however that maybe purchasing Rachel wasn't particularly the smartest idea in the world. (Modern Day AU)
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Blazblue.**

**Same fic as "Bittersweet" except with a different title.**

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Ragna's hands fumbled with the wad of rolled up bills in his pockets as his legs quickly carried him to where he needed to be, the high schooler running down the sidewalk when he finally saw his local pet store come into view. He swiftly dodged pedestrians and carefully crossed the busy intersection that kept him away from his destination and only decided to finally slow down once he was in front of the facade of the humble little shop. He grinned when he noticed that the crystal clear windows of the store showed the humanoid-like beings inside on full display, and decided to peer through the glass to admire the creatures who leisured about in their cages. They were all quite young looking, the lot of them no older than fourteen years of age, and were all either playing with each other or eating the food that the pet store clerks brought them. All of them were cute in their own little way, each juvenile sporting furry characteristics typical of their respective species that were only accentuated by their round yet friendly, childish faces and nubile physiques.

These little guys were called "demi-humans", if Ragna could remember correctly—half-animal, half-human people who acted like the animal they were crossed with. They had everything from fluffy ears that stuck out from the sides of their heads, downy tails that wagged to and fro behind their backs, and furry claws or paws that made up either their hands, their feet, or both. Most lacked the ability to speak and only communicated with regular people through barks, chirps, howls and other noises, but they were typically much smarter than a regular animal and were capable of understanding speech and language quite well. Many of the kids Ragna knew in his school kept clamming about wanting to have a few of their own, but he never understood the appeal of getting one until now.

Before he just thought of the buggers as some weird freaks of nature that were better off in the wild rather than in human hands, but as he grew to understand more about them through the internet and a few side conversations he's overheard, he began to think that maybe they wouldn't make such bad company after all. It was awfully lonely in the apartment complex he lived in when his uncle Hakumen was off at his job, or when the few friends he had were busy with their own lives, so it would be nice to bring a pet home to liven up the place a bit.

Not to mention a lot of them were pretty cute to begin with, a voice in Ragna's head threatened to say. The delinquent frowned and shook the thought off as he walked to the entrance of the store and opened the door, cheerful pet related decorations lining the yellow and tan walls of the shop and welcoming Ragna with its jovial atmosphere. He looked around the building to admire the simple yet sunny ambiance that it had before peering down at the little half breeds that crawled to the ends of their cages to see him better, their expressions happy and gleeful when they noticed Ragna's gaze fall on them. A couple of dog demis yipped at him and wagged their tails happily when they saw him while a few cats meowed his way and climbed on the bars of the extremely large cage to greet him, all of them eager to see if he would pick one of them to bring home today.

Ragna moved away a bit from the over-excited juveniles however, the teen mildly anxious when he saw the bars of their enclosure bend slightly from the force each adolescent was putting on. He was about ready to walk away and explore a different part of the store to avoid the possible attack he'd receive if he stayed any longer until he heard a stern yet gentle voice of a lady come from where he was heading to.

"Now, now, everyone, settle down..." It said. "Let the nice man come through,"

Ragna looked towards the direction of the sweet sounding voice and instantly moved out of the way when he saw a beautiful asian woman of about ten or fifteen years his senior zip by him in a blur of red and yellow, and quickly started to calm the rambunctious children down. He watched the lady gently admonish them for their attitude, the pups and kittens whining a little at her mild chastisement and began to whine even louder as she went on, but he could see their faces light up almost instantly when the lady promised them a reward if they behaved well for the rest of the day. The kids then nodded their heads feverishly at her promise and went back to whatever they were doing in hopes that they would be rewarded soon while the lady sighed in minor relief and turned around to face Ragna. A genial smile graced her oriental features as she bowed politely to him, the student averting his eyes a little in modesty when the older woman's gesture revealed a considerable amount of cleavage from her low-cut top.

"I do hope you excuse their behavior," She said. "Not many people have come by the shop today and they were all very happy to see a new face, them being so young and all."

"It's no problem." Ragna reassured. "I was just looking around."

"Oh?" The woman's magenta eyes brightened. "Is there a type of pet that you had in mind?"

"Nothing in particular." He responded truthfully. "It's kinda hard to decide, really since they're so many."

"That's something I can agree on." The woman giggled and held her hand out to him. "My name is Dr. Faye-Lin, though most just call me Miss Litchi." She uttered calmly. "I run the store and the local veterinary clinic across from here. I can show you around here if you'd like, and see if anything piques your interest."

Ragna smiled and took her hand to shake it. "Sure, I wouldn't mind."

Litchi let go of his hand and proceeded to walk ahead of him, her lab coat swishing with each step she made. "Then please follow me."

The delinquent did so and allowed the doctor to guide him through the deceptively large pet store and took the chance to look around some more. Decorative pens and humongous cages housed young demi-humans of differing species, breeds, and sizes, all of them beaming with listless amounts of energy and happiness that was infectious to the core.

Litchi noticed his ogling of the many juveniles that littered the interior of her store and asked him, "Do you see anything that you like?"

"Oh, um..." Ragna looked about the room and frowned. Nothing really caught his eye that much. The puppies and kittens were adorable and hyper as shit, yeah, but he was positive that that crotchety old uncle of his wouldn't put up with that much energy in the apartment.

Ragna thought about it for a moment and asked, "You got any docile ones? Like...something that's lively but not too energetic?"

"Hmm... Something docile, you say?" Litchi raised a finger to her lip and hummed. "I believe we have something like that in one of our sanctuaries... Come right this way." The older woman swiftly turned a corner and beckoned Ragna to follow. They walked through allies of toys and food supplies before arriving at a large, well ventilated room that revealed giant glass boxes of young male and female demi-humans with fluffy cotton-ball tails and big downy ears that sprouted upright from the sides of their heads. The creatures were clothed in white and lacy wool clothing, some dressed conservatively while others had on more revealing attire.

"This is our bunny sanctuary." Litchi said calmly, stepping inside the room. "This is where we keep most our rabbits since they dislike the noise the other demis make. If you want something of a placid nature, I can assure you that they're just right for you. They don't make much noise and keep to themselves, but are still very friendly and playful."

"I see..." The younger man walked ahead of Litchi to gaze upon the lazy little bodies that slept on their bellies and nibbled at the food on their plates. They all looked just a tad smaller compared to the others outside—the females here about five feet in height while the males were only marginally bigger.

The rabbits' reaction to his arrival was a complete 180 compared to the exuberant welcome that he got from the other pets outside—the scant amount of bunnies that were actually awake and not eating staring at him once he came close to their box, and hopping away from the glass soon after when he paid them any attention.

They were skittish like any regular rabbits would be, he guessed.

Litchi began to browse the selection of rabbits that were on sale herself and cooed at their behavior. "So cute..." She sighed. "They're not used to people coming here, so they're a little nervous." She looked at each individual pedigree of rabbit and started talking about specific breeds that would probably suit Ragna's needs, but was unknowing of the fact that he was only half listening to her. The delinquent was too busy searching for a pet that wouldn't run away from him on sight for nearly every rabbit that he came near either hid themselves away from him in a burrow or scurried off somewhere when he tapped on their glass. Ragna was almost ready to call it quits and was going to ask the ever so patient doctor if there were other rabbits around here that didn't act so timid until he spotted a bunny at the very end of the large room that was isolated from the rest of its kind by its own glass box.

It was a female who looked to be about his age if not a little younger, her big red doe eyes staring at him inquisitively as she chewed on a piece of what he supposed was a strip of barley. Her knees were pressed against her humble bosom while the big fuzzy paws that acted as her feet were spread apart and revealed the short but still rather large ivory white tail that sprouted from underneath her bottom. Ragna wandered over to the young rabbit to look at her better, a blush creeping on his pale face when he noticed the way her blonde hair cascaded down her neck and shoulders to frame her round face and voluptuous body. Her cute features and beautiful physique was different than most of her breed he could tell, she much plumper and fuller compared to the other rabbits in the sanctuary.

The bunny briefly stopped chewing on the little twig to peer up at him, her interest piqued and whiskers twitching as she crawled to the glass herself to scrutinize Ragna's robust form, he visibly surprised that she didn't run away from him like the others did. She didn't look the least bit frightened of him, merely curious to know of the man who so boldly came to her in such a confident manner.

Ragna heard Litchi stop her rambling once she finally realized that he wasn't paying attention anymore and saw her move near the rabbit's box from the corner of his eye. He observed however that the bunny wasn't very happy about that fact however, and scrunched up her face when she saw her stand next to the glass.

Litchi straightened up her hair unconsciously and asked Ragna, "Does she interest you?"

The delinquent gave her a curt nod. "Does she have a name?"

"Her name is Rachel," the doctor responded. "We've had her here at the sanctuary since she was born. She's a pretty thing, no?"

"Yeah..." Ragna laughed a little. "But why is she all by herself?"

"Well..." Litchi glanced at Rachel, the rabbit back to nibbling on her barley, but shot Litchi a glare when she noticed that she was still staring at her. "She's always been a little bit of a troublemaker to put it lightly... She never liked being around the other bunnies and would bully them if they ever tried playing or eating with her, so we decided to separate her from the rest of the litter until she grew out of it."

So she had spunk, Ragna thought. He liked that. "How much is she?" He asked.

Litchi gave him a skeptical look. "Huh?"

"How much is she?" Ragna repeated.

"I mean, she can be pretty sweet when she _wants_ to be..." The doctor said, trying to correct herself. "But she's still rather rambunctious... She doesn't like listening to a lot—"

"I can probably straighten her out..." Ragna interrupted rudely. "Just tell me the price already, lady."

"Um, sure..." Litchi frowned as she picked up a clipboard that was attached to Rachel's enclosure and flipped through the pages to check the prices. "She's...$784 dollars."

Steep, was what he wanted to say, but it's not like she costed anymore than a regular puppy or kitten, so he'll take it. Ragna pulled out the cash that he had in his pockets and counted it all in his hands, noting how Litchi eyed the rather large wad of bills suspiciously while trying to be discreet as possible about it. He supposed that he couldn't really blame her for her curiosity—it was kind of odd for someone his age to be carrying around over a grand of cash on his person, but it wasn't like he got it all illegally...well, at least most of it anyway. Some of it he got from his job at the grocery store, some of it from a couple of thugs who tried to square up with him on the streets a few times, and some that he just got from his friend Kagura just because he liked giving him things anyway thanks to his wealth.

"This should be enough, right?" The teenager handed her the money and stuffed the rest back in his pocket.

"A-Already? Well... I guess there's no helping it then..." She took the cash from him hesitantly and bowed. "Thank you... I'll let her out shortly."

Ragna nodded and watched the buxom doctor tuck the clipboard under her arm and unlock the bolts and catches that kept Rachel's box closed. She opened the door slowly, being careful not to startle the small rabbit, and motioned for Ragna to stand out of the way so that she may come outside, the teenager stepping back a little in response.

Rachel sniffed the air from the outside tentatively as she eyed the man on the other side with slight suspicion, unsure whether or not if it was truly okay for her to leave or just to stay inside and wait for Litchi to close the door. She hesitated greatly for a few more moments before she heard her caretaker's voice beckon her to come outside.

"Oh, sweetie, don't be shy." She cooed. "It's okay for you to come out."

The rabbit's ears flattened behind the sides of her temples as she spat out the piece of barley and crawled a little ways out of the spacious cage to peer up at the young man who decided to pick her out. He looked pleased to see her, his lips curved in a gentle smile as he kneeled down to the floor to meet her height. Rachel made a chattering noise under her breath before hopping outside, her paws making an audible thump on the wood floor as she walked towards the other man. No human ever bothered to look at her whenever one of them visited the sanctuary for they were always too put off by her mannerisms and that blasted doctor's comments to really pay her any attention, but when she saw this particular lad, with bleached white hair, rugged looking clothes, and a consternated scowl, she could not help but express some form of interest towards him, as if her little brain was silently hoping for someone as blunt and dangerous looking as him to pick her instead of the rest of her littermates.

Rachel was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt his large hand cup her face and pinch her cheek, her face scrunching up in a mix of embarrassment and annoyance when he did so.

"Don't be so bashful... You're way cuter up close than from far away." He brushed her whiskers with his thumb and looked up a Litchi. "How old is she?"

"No older than fifteen or so, I believe. She's still just a kit as far as I know."

The teenager continued asking Litchi various questions about Rachel and general information about rabbit demi-humans as Rachel herself quietly watched, she extremely grateful when she saw Ragna stand up and let go of her face. They kept on talking and talking about items that the young man may need to take care of her—what food to give her, if she was high maintenance, what toys to buy her if she got bored, and a plethora of other things. Their conversation only lasted for a few more minutes before she and her new owner were ushered out of the room with Litchi following suit, and leaving Rachel with several questions of her own running rampant through her head.

How was this boy like and what was his home life like? Did he own other pets of his own, or was she his first one? Would he treat her right and give her the attention she needed?

Or would he keep her in his house all day just to cook her in a pot with her name on it?

Rachel shuddered at the thought and moved away from Ragna uncomfortably. He didn't look like to be the type of person to do something so cruel, but her instincts were getting the best of her and her already overactive imagination. Making a noise that equated to a sigh, Rachel opted to distract herself from such macabre imagery by thinking of more happy thoughts. She supposed it would be rather exciting to finally come home with someone—she'd actually have a bed to sleep in, she would be given real food instead of the bland fruits, salads, and water she always got from the sanctuary, and she would have everything that she had ever dreamed of having just as long as she was good.

Or he could lull her into a false sense of security and fatten her up for the impending Winter.

When Ragna and Litchi stopped at the register to talk about whatever supplies the delinquent needed to take care of Rachel, the bunny took it upon herself to hop to a random part of the room and sulk quietly against a wall, a few demis staring at her awkwardly. Here she was, about to be let free from this accursed building, and her predator drive is already ruining everything for her! It was such a preposterous and absurd thought to think that a boy of high school age would drop nearly a grand on her person just to bring her home and cook her for dinner! He was just a child(even though he looked strong enough to incapacitate something as big as an elk), it was more than likely that all he wanted to do was pick out a pet to spend his time with—not eat, kill, or eviscerate her in some ghastly underground dungeon.

"What are you doing all the way over here?"

Rachel let out a frightened squeak when she heard the deep baritone of her new owner's voice and jumped in place. She quickly tried to regain her bearings soon after however, and regarded the delinquent as she tried keeping a straight face.

Ragna, she believed his name was, merely smiled down at her and stretched out his hand to her. "C'mon, it's time to go home now."

Rachel stared pensively at his hand for a few moments, wondering if she should accept his offer and walk out the door with him, but decided not to—she was old enough to walk outside without needing someone to hold her hand, goddammit. So with that in mind, the rabbit turned up her lip, crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air as she idly hopped past Ragna and darted towards the main entrance without him, her hands attempting to push open the doors that led to the outside once she was there. She kept pushing and pushing and pushing until she realized, that despite the many times she's witnessed Litchi and her employees work a door, she still didn't know how to operate one herself. How intelligent of her, she thought.

Ragna silently watched the other's struggle and casually strolled to the front of the door to let her out, but bid Litchi a farewell before doing so.

"I'll come back again if I have any questions." He said.

"Oh please, anytime is just fine!" She smiled. "Have a nice day, dear!"

He waved the doctor goodbye and finally opened the door, but laughed when he saw the young rabbit, unaware of his presence, trip up on herself and nearly fall face first into the concrete outside from pushing on the door so hard.

"Woah," Ragna caught Rachel by her arm in time and made her stand upright again. "For a rabbit you're pretty stuck up, aren't you?" He snickered.

Rachel hissed indignantly at him and pulled her arm away from his grasp.

"With a freakish attitude problem, too." He added. "Let's get you home before you go and start some trouble... For something so small, Litchi told me you like stirring up shit." Ragna led the way and made Rachel follow, she hopping alongside him and trying her hardest not to make eye contact.

Half of the walk home was relatively silent for the most part, mostly because of Rachel's inability to talk and Ragna not knowing what to talk to her about. Litchi had told him that Rachel had a rather excellent grasp of English unusual for a demi of her breed, so she made great "conversation" when she felt like actually listening to someone. Ragna thought it over if he should take up the idea of attempting to talk to Rachel considering how quiet it was, but turned his head to her when he noticed how the rabbit was starting to fall behind. She desperately tried keeping up with him by hopping a little bit faster to match his pace, but saw her run out of steam constantly and instead shuffle her feet across the pavement.

Ragna rubbed the back of his head and suggested to her, "You know, if you're tired..." He began. "I can carry you if you want..."

Rachel stopped moving and contemplated the offer. This had to be the longest that she's ever walked in her life, and she was pretty sure the more they went on, she was probably going to fall and pass out on the cold, rocky ground and be dragged home. She puffed out her cheeks and mulled over it a little while longer before eyeballing Ragna briefly and holding out both of her arms to him in the air so he could pick her up. It would probably be the only other nice thing he has done for her today besides buying her from the shop, so she might as well make the most of it.

The delinquent smirked and bent down to scoop Rachel in his arms, the bags of supplies still held firmly in his left hand as he brought the small Rabbit to his chest so she can latch on. "We're gonna have to boost your stamina a little if you're gonna live with me." He laughed. "I like to walk, so you gotta get used to doing it a lot if I ever take you out somewhere."

Rachel poked out her bottom lip as she wrapped her arms and legs around Ragna's shoulders and torso and stared at the moving ground. Get used to it, he says... What a riot—she still needs to get used to even being around this man and the potential slaughterhouse that'd be her new home than just a few silly walks around the block.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Blazblue**

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The walk back home was bearable if not just a little tiring. Rachel stayed clinging onto her new owner's back the entire walk home, unmoving and stiff as a board while her surprisingly heavy weight weighed him down a bit. She made no effort or indication that she wanted to get down and move on her own, which only made Ragna mildly irritated that they probably pampered her a bit much in that shop. She might have looked pretty skinny, but sitting cooped up in a glass box all day eating whatever was on her plate 24/7 with little to no exercise sure made it obvious that she was perhaps a little bit overweight than he expected her to be. That was fine however, he thought—nothing like a few extra walks will do the trick for her.

"She is pretty soft though..." He mused to himself contently when the backs of his arms felt how squishy her thighs were. He was glad he made the choice to bring home some company and he was determined to treat as a companion than an actual pet to feed and play with. Her being so smart and looking mostly human minus the big ears, big paws and cottontail, it seemed right to treat her as an equal than some dog who doesn't know any better. He smiled warmly and adjusted her as gently as he could so as not to startle her when he felt her slide a little off his back.

"I'll make sure to take good care of you," Ragna told the small rabbit. "So I hope you don't gimme such a sour look for long." He let out a light and airy laugh.

He heard Rachel grumble and felt her stuff her face into the collar of his sweat jacket like an impetuous little brat. He chuckled at that and shrugged. She'll get use to everything eventually with time. With it being her first day and all, he should make her feel as comfy as possible than to rush her into anything.

After crossing a few streets, avoiding some intersections and navigating the mini maze that was his neighborhood, Ragna entered the building to his apartment complex once he arrived at the door. The complex in of itself was alright save for a few maintenance problems and the occasional rat infestation, but he could only complain so much considering how it was much better than living off the streets. He and his uncle didn't make much to begin with, so anything, even if a little rundown, it was better than nothing, especially here in Brooklyn of all places.

He walked by an elevator just by the empty reception desk, and kneeled down just enough to let Rachel off his back which left the little rabbit puzzled when he did so. She stared at the elevator door inquisitively and tilted her head to the side, unsure of what the unfamiliar contraption was.

Ragna noticed this almost immediately and quickly patted her head before pushing the buttons that led to his floor.

"Never been on an elevator before, huh?" He asked.

She peered up at him and shook her head in response.

"You don't have to be on my back for this one," He explained. "This will take us to where we gotta be in just a few seconds. See?" He waited for the elevator to open and with a quick ding, the heavy steel doors slid apart to reveal the small space within. Rachel let out a mildly intrigued noise at that and watched Ragna walk inside and soon look to her to follow, but saw the young demi stay grounded in place.

"It's okay, nothing to be scared of." He held out his hand and watched her expectantly. "You best be quick though. The doors aren't gonna stay open forever, and I don't want to leave you out here by yourself."

Rachel frowned at that and bounded for the elevator to grab Ragna's hand. She wasn't the most pleased with being here, sure, but she didn't want to be lost **and** angry at everything.

Rachel stood close to the older teenager when she saw the doors shut once more and the elevator start to move. She unconsciously clutched his hand during the minute or two that they were standing there, but quickly let go of it once they had finally arrived at their destination. The bunny wasted no time jumping out of the machine when the doors parted once more. She supposed such a contraption is far more convenient than using stairs, but the enclosed space of it all made her feel just a little claustrophobic.

"Ah, you'll get used to it." Ragna grinned and walked by her side as he pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. "Unless you wanna take the stairs that is." He teased.

Rachel vigorously shook her head and glared at him.

"They made you so lazy at that shop. I guess you were spoiled rotten when you were with Litchi, weren't ya?" He remarked.

And she expected to be spoiled here as she was when she was there, was what Rachel wanted to say, but instead opted to cross her arms and puff out her cheeks. She didn't like Litchi one bit when she took care of her because of the doctor's unwarranted comments about her behavior, but Rachel certainly enjoyed it whenever she got what she wanted from her.

Chewing on someone's ankle for a usually had them quite literally sprinting to go fetch whatever your little heart desired.

"Don't give me that look again." Said Ragna. "I wanna make sure you're living good and all, but in this house, budgeting is everything." He swung his keys on his finger when he saw his apartment door come into view and motioned for Rachel to stand behind him. "Life is gonna be a little different compared to how your's was at the store, but I'll try my best to at least make it just as comfy."

Rachel watched him insert the keys into the lock once he was close and slowly open the door, her curiosity piqued as she prepared herself for what was in store for her.

"Welp," Ragna said, stepping out of her way so she could come in. "This is your new home." He rubbed the back of his head a bit, feeling just a bit nervous at what she might think of it, but pushed it aside. Home was home, and even if it wasn't as pleasant as other people's houses, it was certainly still livable.

Rachel hopped inside and took in the sight that was Ragna's apartment. The walls themselves, painted white and chipping in certain places, were bare save for a few pictures that were nailed into the sheetrock and some flimsy decorations that attempted to accent a nonexistent atmosphere. The room itself was open, connecting a small kitchen to the living room which housed a large easy chair and an equally large CRT television. A couch sat against a wall and laid parallel towards the amenities, all items sitting on top of a dull, off white throw rug.

Rachel was more than a little displeased by it all, that was for sure.

She hopped around a bit more while sniffing the air, trying to inspect as much as she could. The lights were dim and the place smelled of a mix of Ragna's and an unknown person's scent which made her sigh inwardly. How quaint, she thought. Another human to share her quarters with, and boy does she hate sharing.

Ragna took off his jacket and threw it over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway that housed the only two bedrooms that were occupied by himself and his uncle. "I know it ain't much, but I hope you'll enjoy it with time." He said, walking past her. "If you want, I can show you where you'll be sleeping."

Rachel's ears visibly perked at the thought of a bed and proceeded to trot behind him expectantly. A nice cot to lay her weary head on will most certainly ease her mind and have her come to terms with what will be the rest of her life. Though she was now sure that he wasn't going to eat her given how he had a room for her, she would rather be cooked into stew than to live in such a dreadful home.

"Here we go," Ragna opened the door and walked inside, urging Rachel to follow. The state of his bedroom was no better than the living room itself, with the same dimmed lights, drab design and unimaginative decor, the only difference being that the floors were carpeted with dark blue fabric instead of lamenated wood. She saw Ragna chuck his jacket into a random pile of clothes that was next to his bed and presented to Rachel the large pile of pillows and blankets that she assumed was a mound of laundry but was surprised when she was told the contrary.

"Until I get enough money to get you an actual bed, I guessed that this will do you plenty for now. Sorry if it's a bit sloppy, but it's still real soft." He smiled at her to try and lighten the mood a bit but was only met with a stiff lip and a blackened look from her.

"What, you don't like it?" He asked.

The bunny shuffled over to the raggedy pile and unceremoniously flopped onto the blankets.

Just as expected, she groaned.

This bed was simply awful.

Huffing through her nose, Rachel quietly stood up from the pile and turned towards Ragna's bed, her face set in a deadpan expression as she readied herself for what she was going to do. The teenager watched his pet stare pensively at his bed and nearly tripped after her when he saw what she did next.

Her back hunched and expression unchanging, Rachel bounded for Ragna's bed in one giant leap that nearly reached the ceiling and left Ragna breathless. She then landed on the bed with elegant finesse, the bunny almost tempted to strike the slightest of poses but instead opted to collapse onto the mattress with the gracefulness of a bow legged swan. She nestled herself deep into the untucked sheets of her owner's mattress, but not before blowing a raspberry at the pathetic excuse for a bed that not even a sick dog would lay in. If he thought that she, a girl of her standard and a rabbit of her pedigree was going to sleep in rumpled sheets and pillows, that boy was dead, dead wrong.

"So...I take that as a no then?" Ragna asked.

She nodded and closed her eyes, another raspberry leaving her.

"And you wanna sleep in my bed?"

She buried her face into the pillow even harder.

Ragna was at a loss for words.

"Oh c'mon!" He began. "I spent forever trying to put it together! I don't have the...space to have both of us sleep in there!" He lied. In all honesty, his bed could fit four Rachel's and still manage to squeeze him in there given how small she was, but he wasn't comfortable with the idea of sharing a bed with a girl, especially with someone as pretty as her. Human or not, that ass and her physique would have any man squirm if she were to sleep next to them.

Rachel regarded him with a look that just screamed, "if you're so proud of it, sleep in it yourself."

Ragna couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth twitch at that.

"Alright, fine, whatever..." He put a hand on his hip as he headed towards the door. "You can lay in it for now, but when it's bedtime, you're taking the floor, got it?"

Rachel nodded but was clearly only half listening to him.

She was gonna be a bitch in a half to tame.

"Okay, look..." He grumbled. "Litchi told me you haven't eaten since this morning, so I'll go make some lunch for you." Ragna nearly left her alone before quickly stating, "But if you think I'm bringing it here, guess again. With how far you can jump, you can stand to hop your ass into the kitchen."

Rachel clapped twice and waved a hand at him, shooing him away like an underpaid butler.

He sighed and went on his way. "I'll call you in a little bit."

Such a rambunctious little pet he's gotten, he groaned as he made his way down the hall. He wasn't expecting her to be such a major pain in the ass in such a short amount of time. Already she's made herself at home, demanded things from him like he was a damn servant, and has already taken over his bed for the day. With her being so brash and bold about her presence, he had half a mind to kick her off, but he knew she was just trying to get acclimated to everything around her.

"I should give her some time..." He said to himself. "Big day for both of us, so maybe she's just a little on edge."

The poor thing looked like she never had any company or friends of her own beyond Litchi, but even their relationship seemed kinda rocky. Maybe he should give her some space for now and then when she's good and sated with some food in her belly, she'll calm down a bit. Maybe even be in a mood to play if Ragna's really lucky.

Ragna nodded and ventured into the kitchen. A nice hearty midday meal should do the trick, he thought as he trudged towards his refrigerator and opened the door. Litchi had told him what a demi-human rabbit diet usually consisted of, so feeding her wouldn't be too much of an issue. Veggies, fruits, grains, and scarce amounts of meat and starch was light on an already even lighter wallet, and God knows his uncle would never pitch in to get Rachel any food, so her subsiting off a salad everyday was certainly easy on his paycheck.

"Let's see here..." He bent over and looked through the leftovers, cold cuts, and gallons of cheap orange and purple drinks they had stored in a lower compartment until he saw a couple bags of vegetables he found nestled into a corner. He grabbed the ceramic wrapping they were enclosed in and took them out before placing them on a nearby counter and ripping it open. He then rummaged through the bag to see what kinds of vegetables were inside and was satisfied to find some items Rachel would probably enjoy.

Inside was a small assortment of red onions, a whole zucchini, two bell peppers, and some asparagus. She probably wouldn't want them raw considering how picky she might be, so he supposed tossing them in a pan and grilling them for a bit would suit her needs. Looking through a cupboard just over head, Ragna took out a medium-sized sautee pan and bowl and went straight to work. He poked around the other adjacent cupboards above him for some more supplies and pulled out some olive oil and a few bottles of spices and placed them on the counter as well before fetching a few veggies to wash off in the sink. Preparing everything didn't take long at all, and he soon found himself chopping up, marinating and tossing the vegetables in a bowl before dumping about a third of them in the skillet. She wasn't gonna eat **all** of it in one go so he decided to just to save the rest for later if Rachel got hungry and wanted some more. He then turned on the stove and was about to reach for a utensil to stir the food around until he heard the house phone ring.

Who could be calling him at this time of day? Kagura was at school, and he blocked Terumi's number for the shit prank calls he liked leaving, so that could only mean...

He sighed and quickly walked towards the living room to pick up the phone from a nearby coffee table and answered it, not even bothering to check the caller ID since he was positive about who was on the other line.

"Hello?" He mumbled.

"Boy." The voice half-heartedly greeted. Just as expected from his crotchety old uncle.

"Hey, old man." He wandered back into the kitchen and grabbed for a spatula. "What's up?"

"Checking up." Hakumen replied. "Was testing to see if you were at school, but I suppose I set my expectations a tad too high."

"Mind you, I was at school!" He yelled. "The teacher was giving me shit—"

"**Watch your mouth.**" The older man warned.

Ragna sighed and continued, "Ugh... The teacher was giving me a **hard time** about my reading skills so I cursed her out and bailed. Decided I had better things to do than stick around any longer."

"That still gives you no excuse to leave."

"Okay, well, not like I can go back anymore." He stirred the veggies around and heard them sizzle loudly. "She probably reported my ass—I mean, reported **me** already and got me suspended."

"Boy—" Hakumen stopped talking very briefly, his voice abruptly replaced with something heavy being slammed against the hood of what sounded like a car before he spoke again. "You are more than aware of the consequences that arise when you pull stunts of this nature."

"Yeah, I can hear it..." He frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Arresting yet another vagrant for jaywalking." Hakumen replied, the sound of handcuffs clicking around wrists confirming his suspicions.

The teenager rolled his eyes at his response. His uncle's job as a police officer was a fitting career for him since he valued justice above all else (to a very extreme degree) but he had a tendency to be unnecessarily brutal for even the smallest misdemeanor.

"Aren't you on the clock then?" Ragna inquired, trying to ignore the desperate pleas of the man he was arresting.

"Are you not suppose to be in school?" Hakumen countered.

Ragna said nothing and absentmindedly poked at what was in the pan.

He heard Hakumen sigh, his patience probably dwindling the longer he spoke to his rowdy nephew. "I want you to be aware of what I expect from you when I get home."

Ragna had a really bad feeling he knew what it was. "What is it?"

"A hot meal prepared, for today has been a busy day," He began, Ragna's ears catching the sound of a cracking noise ripping through the background that made him cringe. At least he wasn't the poor bastard getting the full brunt of Hakumen's arresting methods. "And you on all fours with your pants around your ankles. I'm taking Ookami down tonight."

"W-WHAT!? Oh come on, old man!" He shouted. "I haven't cut class in a long time, gimme a break alread—"

Hakumen hurriedly interrupted him, not wanting to hear what he had to say next. "No. Buts." He stated with authority. "Obviously I have been too lenient on you lately and it shows. I am coming home late tonight, so if neither dinner or Ookami is prepared by then, you shall suffer even **dire** consequences."

"Alright, I'm sorry! I won't do it ag—"

"Goodbye, Ragna."

"Old man!? OLD MAN! Hey, don't fucking—!"

And with a loud click, Hakumen hung up, leaving Ragna agape and immensely angry.

"Shit!" He slammed the phone down on the counter and ran a hand through his unkempt hair. Ookami, he growled. Fuckin' Ookami—the damn switch that his shit uncle just had to nickname since he's such an asshole when it came to punishing Ragna. It was a thick and narrow rod of hickory like any old switch except that psycho decided it would be the cutest thing to graft a hilt and a square guard at the end of it to make it look like an **actual** fucking katana.

Just thinking about the welts and cuts that thing always left on his ass and thighs was enough to send a slight chill up his spine.

"He can seriously kiss the whitest part of my ass sometimes, man..." The teenager continued to grumble to himself as he turned down the heat on the stove and bitterly stirred the vegetables one last time, Ragna too angry to notice a certain someone bounce down the hall and stand behind him in the kitchen to stare curiously at him.

Not one to be ignored, Rachel squeaked to get his attention.

"Chu."

"Gah!" Ragna jumped in place and turned around to peer down at the bunny who looked at him save with apathy.

"Oh it's just you..." He blinked and tried shaking off his scowl so he wouldn't scare her. He hated the old man sometimes but it would be mean of him to put his anger out on her, despite how much of a pain in the ass she could be as well apparently. "You ready to eat?"

She nodded and sniffed at what was behind him. It smelled good to her, but she was wary of what he was serving her.

"Here, I'll make your plate then. Just take a seat out there and I'll give it to you."

Rachel did just that and wandered over to the round, brown wooden table across from the living room and climbed into a chair, her big feet unable to touch the floor due to her height, which looked pretty cute to Ragna. She had a bad habit of not letting him stay mad for long, he noticed.

Feeling his mood improve just a little, he put a small mound of food in a bowl before crossing over to the table to put it in front of Rachel along with a fork and a glass of water. Hopefully this will be good enough for her until she's hungry again.

Rachel's eyes bulged from her skull when she took a long whiff of what was before her. It smelled good somehow but the contents themselves were less than appealing. Nothing but boring mixed vegetables on a boring white plate with a boring drink to go with it. She didn't mind veggies per say due in part that she had to eat them all the time, but why is it that he of all people didn't think to put a scrap of meat in here to make it just a little more appetizing. Or some rice or a few potatoes, or anything that wasn't hard, leafy, or stalky.

But instead of anything tasty, she had water and a dish that had a putrid sight and smell that belonged to nothing but a few bell peppers.

Rachel kept looking back at Ragna and the bowl in irritation before finally deciding to shove it away from her completely and pout hard at him for giving her such an awful meal.

Her owner was not happy.

"NOW what!?" He yelled.

Rachel stuck her nose in the air and turned the other cheek.

"You don't like that either!?"

She shook her head and pretended to gag for emphasis.

"Not this shit again...!" He growled. This stuck-up, arrogant little bunny had the gall to refuse food from him, thought she was too good to sleep in any bed that didn't have a mattress, barely wanted to lift a finger, and had possibly the worst attitude problem he has ever seen. Whatever the fuck, Ragna thought. He didn't feel like cooking anything else today, so she's gonna have to make do with what was on her plate, whether she liked it or not.

"Fine, be that way." The teenager barked. "But I'm not gonna make you fuck all today until you eat what's there." He turned his back on her and walked towards the refrigerator. "I ain't spoiling you like the doctor did at the shop, so you better get it through that thick skull of yours."

Rachel glowered at Ragna and felt her cheeks start to burn from frustration. She knew that the boy wouldn't bend to her will like most other humans, but to be this dogged? If she were in a better state of mind, she would consider his attitude something to be admired, but at the moment, she found him to not only be a bullheaded dullard, but an exceptionally vexing one at that.

Ragna felt Rachel's eyes bore holes into his back as he opened the fridge door and tried to ignore it as best as he could. She was pissed, but what could he do about it? She was simply too needy for her own good and needed to grow out of the idea that she needed everything served on a silver platter. Right now, he needed something indulgent to eat to calm his nerves instead of catering to her. Dealing with Rachel and waiting for the wrath that'll be his uncle's switch was putting him in a worse headspace than he would've liked, so he might as well deal with it as best as he could.

The delinquent dug through the back of the fridge to find a few slices of chocolate cake wrapped in cellophane he kept hidden back there and quickly took a piece out along with a carton of milk. It was cake he made for his uncle for his birthday a few weeks ago, and considering how fast Hakumen was eating it, Ragna found it best to hide it in the back of the fridge to protect the older man's waistline. Ragna wasn't too big on sweets, but on the rare occasions he craved dessert, he never hesitated to indulge himself. Once he got what he wanted, Ragna closed the door with the heel of his foot as he turned back around to head to the table and take a seat across from Rachel. The bunny still had her cheeks puffed out when she saw him, but he tried ignoring her for the sake of his own sanity. Rachel didn't take too kindly to that and hopped from her seat to waddle over to Ragna and stare indignantly at him.

Ragna unwrapped his cake before picking it up with his hand and taking a hearty bite out of it.

"What?" He asked with a mouth full of food.

Rachel's ears folded behind her head when she noticed his lack of manners and took her chance. She got even closer to Ragna before lunging at his leg to nibble angrily at his thigh, a few tiny growls leaving her as she did so. The teenager grimaced at that but didn't bother shaking her off. He could feel teeth but she was too tiny for it to hurt anyway, so he just let her take out her frustrations on his leg for the time being.

He took a swig from the milk carton with his free hand and rolled his eyes at the snooty rabbit. "Can't you let me eat in peace already?"

Rachel regarded him with a glare and kept trying to chew a few holes into his jeans until her nose caught a whiff of the cake her "owner" was eating. She hesitantly took her mouth off his leg and peered up at the treat in his hand, her nose twitching when she smelled the unfamiliar scent of the rich frosting that was smeared on his fingers as well as the yellow cake itself. Ragna noticed her sudden interest at his snack and moved the cake a few inches away from her.

"Nuh-uh, this is **my** food. **Your** food is over there getting cold, cuz you're too stuck up to eat it."

The bunny frowned and made her displeasure clear by making a grabbing motion with her hands so she could have a bite herself.

"No, Rachel." Ragna said. "You can't."

Rachel hummed to herself for a minute and smirked in such a way so that Ragna didn't notice. She then folded her hands over her chest and looked up at him with big, shining crimson red eyes, her dotted brows pulled into a crease that made Ragna's heart swell if only a little. He knew what game she was trying to pull, and goddammit, he will **not** fall for her little trap.

"Q-Quit lookin' at me like that, I said I'm not gonna give you any..."

She poked out her lip and cocked her head a little to the side.

"I said I'm not gonna, dammit...!"

Rachel let out a gentle squeak that honest to God almost sounded like a "please," and Ragna felt his resolve to keep her eyes out of his mouth shatter when she did so. He sighed and pulled off nearly half of his slice to give to Rachel by hand and cursed himself for doing so.

"Here, just take it!" He barked. "I swear, you can do some damage staring at people like that..."

Rachel clapped happily at Ragna's generosity and gently took half of his snack from his hand and sniffed at it more before finally sticking out her tongue to give the cool frosting a tentative lick. The bunny gasped when she tasted how good the flavor was and went for an actual bite next to properly savor it. Rachel's eyes lit up at the distinct taste of chocolate and cream that washed over her taste buds and crammed the rest of the cake in her mouth like a starved animal.

It didn't take very long for her to make a mess of herself and get it everywhere, because as soon as she was done eating, her lips and cheeks were dotted with crumbs while her hands, chest and a part of her white, fluffy crop top was smeared with brown frosting. He could tell Rachel didn't exactly like how messy her little treat was and immediately resorted to licking her hands clean, but Ragna couldn't help but let out a bit of a laugh at that.

She noticed his smile and raised a brow at him, only to be waved off by Ragna.

"Ah, don't worry. You managed to make a mess cute somehow."

The bunny flushed a little but was too content to pester him about it, she finally glad that she got some real food in her stomach since coming to her new home.

"No sass this time, huh?" Ragna teased. "Is it really because you ate something other than veggies for once?"

She nodded and pointed at her mouth before grinning at him deviously. If he were to give her more food like that for a change, he won't have to ever worry about any potential bites, scratches or donkey kicks for as long as they were together.

At least, not many anyway.

"God, I guess I really can't help spoiling you after all..." Ragna sighed. "But..." He crossed his arms as he tried thinking of a deal to make with the rabbit. If he wanted to keep her and at the very least prevent her from causing a lot of ruckus in their apartment so that Hakumen didn't put her out in the cold, he had to establish a few ground rules if this relationship was going to work out. His uncle still didn't know he "wasted his money," as he would be one to say, on her and he wouldn't put it past his old man to turn her into stew if she got too rambunctious for her own good.

"We gotta make some things clear here." He continued. "You can eat whatever you want, hell, even sleep in my bed sometimes, but you still gotta listen to what I say, got it?"

Rachel groaned loudly at his words but was quickly hushed by Ragna.

"Look, I dunno if you can smell him in here or not, but I got an uncle who doesn't take too kindly to pets, especially a demi. He's a dick, and trust me, the moment you act up, he won't hesitate to make a pelt outta you."

The rabbit made a face of digust and chewed through his words. She didn't like the sound of his uncle at **all**, but being fed delicious food and sleeping in a warm bed for a change was certainly making her reconsider. She mulled over Ragna's deal a little more before sighing and conceding to his demands. She nodded in understanding and even held out her hand for him to shake.

Ragna chuckled and took her smaller hand into his own and shook it gently. "Good girl." He smirked which made Rachel blow another raspberry at him. He suspected he was gonna get a lot of those in the future, he was sure.

"I'm just messing with ya." He ruffled her hair. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up before he comes home. I got a few t-shirts you can wear until I can buy you some more clothes."

Rachel noticed how sticky her lips and hands were and followed after Ragna when he got up from his chair to guide her to the bathroom. They walked down the narrow hallway and approached the first door on the right, Ragna entering first before Rachel followed suit. He then picked her up by her hips to settle her on the edge of the sink and washed his hands, allowing Rachel to survey her surroundings. The bathroom was abysmally small and was barely large enough to accommodate two people, but it seemed clean and organized enough for her not to say much about it. Ragna then reached for a few washcloths in a cabinet that hovered over the sink before soaking one in water and using his free hand to turn Rachel's head his way.

The bunny let her owner, she guessed, clean and gently dab at her face with a delicate hand, the boy almost afraid that he would hurt her somehow if he pressed too hard on her skin. He guided the towel across her lips and over her squishy cheeks, being careful of her whiskers before moving back to her lips again. It was then that their gaze met and Ragna grew just a tad flustered at how close they were while Rachel merely shifted a little in embarrassment. As tenuous as their union was, Rachel had to admit that Ragna was a bit of a softie, even if his personality was rough around the edges.

"Sorry, didn't mean to stare..." He murmured. "Uh, lemme get your hands."

Rachel held up her arms to allow Ragna to wipe at them and started to swing her legs over the counter. He was just as delicate with her hands as he was with her face and Rachel couldn't help but find his manners rather endearing in a way. When he was done with one hand, Ragna moved to the other which allowed Rachel to pet his head like he did to her before.

"Chu~" She squeaked playfully. What a good boy he was, taking care of her like a knight would a queen.

"What's that for?" Ragna blinked up at her.

Rachel made a hand sign for a dog and let out a few barks directed at Ragna.

He glared at her and bit back. "I'm not your damn dog, rabbit..."

She giggled and swung her legs harder.

"Whatever..." He finished wiping her hand and looked at her top. "Alright let's get this...off..." Before he could finish his sentence, Ragna realized just what exactly he had to take off and blushed a little.

"Are...you able to get it off?"

Rachel looked down at her top and nodded before grabbing the hem of her shirt and lifting it over her head swiftly. She then used an arm to cover her breasts from his view for which he appeared grateful for. She was told by her previous caretaker to be modest within the company of men which she thought was sound logic. Her beauty would probably send Ragna into shock if he were to see her curves.

The teenager was a brilliant shade of vermillion once he began wiping away at the space between her breasts and could feel a bead of sweat roll down his brow. Rachel was all woman when it came down to it and being this close to her was making Ragna nervous. She was so pretty it was almost unreal, and a part of him was glad he got to her before anyone else now that he thought about it. The idea of some creep getting their hands on her and taking advantage of her was enough to disgust him to a degree. Demi-human abuse was common enough that there were laws all over the place about the rights they had and the sort, but there were still plenty of assholes out there who did some real illegal shit with a lot of them.

Ragna was lost in his thoughts enough to ignore the presence of Rachel's breasts if only a little and righted himself when he was finally done cleaning her. He threw the used rag and her shirt in a hamper that stood in a corner somewhere and kept his gaze off of the bunny to hurry out of the bathroom and retreat into his room to grab her a shirt. His room was directly across the hall so it didn't take long for him to get whatever clean band tee he had to give to her.

"Here, it might be a little big, but it'll cover you up." He held his arm out so she could grab it and so he didn't have to look at her. He heard Rachel jump down from the sink and take the shirt from his hand to throw it over herself before hopping out of the bathroom to peer up Ragna. He blinked at how big it was on her when he saw her with it on and snickered. Yeah, whenever he got his next paycheck, he's gotta look into buying her better clothes, because as funny as it was seeing her hop around in an oversized "Nirvana" tee, he had a feeling she would get sick of it soon.

"Heh, looks like you're wearing a dress."

Rachel stepped on his foot in response as she made her way into his room and ignored his pained groan when she did so. She felt quite sleepy after all the excitement that has happened today and was pining for a nice long nap. Ragna hobbled in after her and let out a few curses along the way as he watched his pet crawl into his bed and burrow into the pillows not unlike an actual rabbit. He ran a hand through his hair when he saw her close her eyes and almost regretted their deal from earlier.

"You're already that tired?"

Rachel nodded and curled into herself to get more comfortable.

"Well, I guess it'll give me some time to clean up around here and make dinner for later. Shit, I should probably get on that before he gets home..."

The younger girl licked her lips at the prospect of food when she woke up and shooed Ragna off hand so that he may hurry up with his tasks.

He's gonna have to make her get rid of that habit, he thought. "I'll check on you later. If you need anything, just yell."

Rachel heard Ragna leave the room and busy himself with his chores. She was now alone to reflect on her thoughts for a change and couldn't be any more pleased with her situation. Being pampered by an attractive, muscular lad who waited on her hand and foot and cooked her good food was a much better life than the one she had at the pet shop. The most she had to worry about was the threat of one of Ragna's crazed relatives ruining her fun. No matter, she mused. Perhaps her cute looks would convince the boy's uncle that she was worth keeping. Besides, who wouldn't want a charming little bunny rabbit like herself to have around the house anyways?


End file.
